Into the Darkness
by Stormsworder
Summary: A PSO fic. After the explosion on Ragol, a young RAmarl is asked to explore the planet, along with many other hunters. But what she finds puts her life in a greater danger than the one presented by the virus in her. Please read and review. Complete.
1. Arrival

  An android held a scythe in his hand, the blade dripping the blood of its victims. Two corpses lay on the ground, a young man and a woman. Wounds covered their bodies, and they swam in pools of their own blood. The android slowly turned around, its eyes finding a small child cowering in fear.

  "Must grow. Evolve. Open the door." The little girl backed away until her back hit the wall. As the android approached her, it raised its scythe into the air, repeating those same words over and over again. It stopped in front of her, and the child looked up into its dark, soulless eyes. The scythe came down, and the girl screamed.

Chapter 1: Arrival

  Danielle awoke with a start, her throat ragged from the scream she let out. The RAmarl was 17, younger than most other hunters. Her brown hair was worn back, and she had hazel eyes. Years ago, her mom and brother were murdered by an assassin. Since then, she had always been alone. The memories of the past had came back to haunt her for some unknown reason. Tears streamed down the RAmarl's face as she struggled to regain her composure. Danielle slowly got out of bed and entered her bathroom. She splashed water on her face, hoping that the nightmare would go away. It was after the discovery that she had a rare, incurable disease that the dreams had returned. Doctor's told her that the illness she had was the rarest and most deadly of them all. Only one other person had ever caught the virus, and they had died a few years ago. The virus slowly destroyed a person's body, a little bit every day. At the current rate, she wouldn't live past the age of 20.

  Her BEE system received a message and began to beep. She turned off the bathroom light and walked into her bedroom. The message was from Amanda, her best friend. She wanted the RAmarl to come and watch the arrival to Ragol from one of the observation decks. Danielle sent a reply and put on her green fatigues. She turned to her Mag, Apsaras, who was waiting patiently for her orders. "Sorry buddy, but they don't allow Mags there," she said weakly. The Ranger pocketed her key and left the house.

Pioneer 2: Observation Deck A

  A woman with long, blonde hair worn back and brown eyes stood with her arms crossed by one of the windows. Amanda was one of the nicest people Danielle had ever met. Not only had she taken care of the RAmarl after her parents were killed, but she had also trained her to become a Ranger. Amanda turned to Danielle as she arrived. "I was wondering when you would get here."

 "Yeah, well, I kind of overslept." Her mentor noticed the teen's tired expression and guessed that her nightmares had returned.

  "We should be arriving any minute now. I didn't want you to miss this, Danielle."

  "I wouldn't miss this for a million Meseta," Danielle replied. She watched the space outside of the ship and waited. The people of Pioneer 2's home world was being destroyed, so Pioneer 1 was sent to Ragol to establish a colony. Pioneer 2 was the second of the colony ships sent to the planet. More would come later, if everything went well. Suddenly, where there was only darkness outside the ship, millions of tiny lights appeared. A blue and green planet, covered by white clouds, was before them. Many of the spectators whispered excitedly among themselves. The Pioneer 2 launched a bright blue beam, which shot downward toward the planet. Somewhere on the surface, the Central Dome launched a red beam up into space. The communications link opened, and the Pioneer 2 was about to send a message, when there was a large explosion. The two lights vanished as the explosion engulfed the Central Dome. Danielle's blood ran cold.

  "They… They're gone. They're all gone," she whispered in disbelief. Tears trickled down her face, and she turned away. Danielle left before Amanda could stop her.

Pioneer 2: Danielle's House

  Apsaras was hovering a few centimeters above the couch in the living room, watching the television. It paused when it saw the explosion on the surface. The reporter's voice was frantic as he tried to discover what just happened. Apsaras's master returned a few minutes later, and the Mag tried to comfort her. The two of them had been together since Danielle was a kid, and no one understood her better than the Mag. The RAmarl sat down and sobbed, her hands covering her face. "Apsaras…" Suddenly, she cried out in pain and clutched her heart. She coughed hard, so hard that she tasted blood in her mouth. The coughs continued for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to the teen. She trembled, scared that an attack would come again. Thankfully, it did not.

  "Danielle," Amanda said softly. The RAmarl wasn't at all surprised. She had given Amanda a spare key to her house in case of emergencies. Danielle looked into her friend's eyes; thankful she was here. Her mentor walked over to her and helped her up. "Are you all right?" The Ranger nodded and wiped her mouth.

  "Yeah. I just wish I didn't have to live like this. It's a pain worrying whether your heart will suddenly hurt and you start coughing up blood or not." Asparas beeped worriedly and rubbed against its master. "I'm okay, really," Danielle insisted. Amanda let go of her and reached into her pocket for something.

  "Principal Tyrell asked me to give this to you," she said as she handed the Ranger a piece of paper. It was a letter asking for Danielle to meet with Principal Tyrell ASAP, and that she was granted permission to enter his office. "He spoke with me while I was on my way here. It sounded like he had something important to tell you. But after I came in and saw you, I'm not too sure." The RAmarl shook her head.

  "It's okay. I can go." Danielle walked into her room and picked up her storage unit from her desk. Asparas floated over to her so it could be stored. Amanda took something out of her own unit and handed it to her pupil. "Amanda, this is…"

  "It's Agito, one of the four legendary katanas. I think that you can put it to better use than I can." Amanda laughed at the Ranger's expression. "You better hurry, Danielle. I don't think the Principal likes to be kept waiting." She nodded and left the house. Amanda sighed and stood there for a moment, watching the TV. She never heard the door open; never saw the shadow approaching her; never saw the scythe, until it was too late.

Pioneer 2: Near Principal Tyrell's Office

  Danielle pushed through the crowded intersection and walked up to one of the guards standing by the teleporter to the Principal's office. "Hold it. No one is allowed through here," he said. Danielle took the note out of her pocket and handed it to him. "I see. He wants to speak with you. Go right ahead." The RAmarl stepped into the teleporter and reappeared in Tyrell's office. Scientists were speaking among themselves, trying to find out any information about the people on the surface. Principle Tyrell noticed the Ranger and gestured for her to approach. "Danielle! I'm glad you are here. I have something to ask you."

  "Anything you need, sir."

  "I want for you to investigate the surface of Ragol and search for survivors. We tried to send unmanned drones, but we lost control as they neared the surface, and the probes crashed. After numerous attempts, we were finally able to launch a teleporter. This is where you come in. Experienced hunters are needed to explore the Central Dome and the area surrounding it. Will you help us?" Danielle nodded.

  "Yes, sir."

  The Principal looked relieved. "Thank you. When you are done, please return here and report your findings to us. Good luck." The RAmarl turned and left. Tyrell hoped that she would be okay. He had heard about her illness, and had arranged for her to meet his daughter, Rico, when they arrived. Danielle had idolized Rico and dreamed of meeting the hunter before the virus killed the RAmarl. Tyrell returned to reading the papers on his desk, praying for his daughter's safety.


	2. Mother Earth of Dishonesty

Chapter 2: Mother Earth of Dishonesty

Planet Ragol: Forest: Residential Area

  Danielle looked around, surprised at the lack of evidence of an explosion. There were no scorch marks or burns. It was as if nothing had happened. There was a capsule on the ground in front of her, a message recorded on it. "Hm… I wonder if this was left behind by a survivor." She touched a button on it, and the recorded message played.

  "Ah, testing, testing? Cough! I'm Rico, Rico Tyrell. I'm a hunter. This capsule is for anyone who has come looking for me. I hope this helps you. I don't know who you are, but you must know that there is something unusual about Ragol. This is important. Pay attention to everything around you if you want to survive."

  The RAmarl's heart skipped a beat. Rico was still alive, and was somewhere in this area. Danielle used her storage unit to record the message and started down the path. A gate was in front of her. Beyond that, four strange looking animals were roaming the area. Unsure whether they were hostiles or not, the Ranger drew her Bravace before stepping through. The animals, Boomas, had foot long claws, bear-like faces with a small horn above their nose, purple eyes, and dark brown fur. They turned to her and came forward, looking very hungry.

  Danielle aimed at the nearest Booma and pulled the trigger. The Photon bullet burned off its face, and the creature moaned in agony. A second bullet put it out of its misery. The RAmarl quickly pulled the trigger three times, and the second Booma dropped. The last two had closed in and were preparing to shred the Ranger into pieces. She barely dodged the claws, but didn't dodge the teeth. One of the animals bit into her right arm, and made her drop the Bravace. Using her left hand, she punched it in the face. It released her, but continued to press on the attack. Danielle snapped the pistol up and shot the two animals.

  There was a growl from behind, and something leapt onto the RAmarl's back. She was thrown to the ground, but she used her right arm to break her fall. That was a mistake. Incredible pain shot up her arm, making her cry out in pain. A Savage Wolf growled at the Ranger, waiting for the right time to pounce. Danielle quickly recovered and sent three bullets into the wolf's face. It howled in pain before collapsing on the ground. Nothing else jumped at her, so she breathed a sigh of relief. Apsaras examined her arm and beeped. "Don't worry. It's just a scratch." The Ranger took out some bandages and wrapped her arm. Truth be told, she was terrified. That Booma had managed to shred through her armor with just its teeth. It frightened her to think about what would have happened if it had bit her hand instead of her arm. There were two other gates in the area, and only one was unlocked.

 There was a long pathway, which led to another gate. Through it, a Barbarous Wolf howled, along with the rest of its pack. Danielle put away her Bravace, swapping it for her Vulcans, a pair of mechguns. Two of the four Savage Wolves came at her, snarling and wanting her blood.

  "Not today," the Ranger said quietly. The Vulcans released a hail of bullets, turning the wolves into bullet-riddled corpses. The pack leader growled and decided to take matters into its own hands. It charged forward and went for the Ranger's neck. Danielle ducked under it, drew her Agito, and cut into the wolf's neck. The other wolves howled in agony and attacked. Danielle focused on powering up a technique she had learned called Foie. A fireball shot forward from her open hand and engulfed the first wolf, and its brother met the same fate. Even more wolves came at her, and each one was either riddled with bullets or burnt to a crisp. There was another capsule near a gate. The RAmarl jogged over to it and played the message.

 "What made the animals become violent all of the sudden? They weren't before. They were very quiet and friendly… There must be some cause. I'll find it. I know I'm a fool. This won't make me any richer. Perhaps that's why I'm exalted by them... Red Ring Rico, ha, ha. But I'm not really the great hunter citizens say I am. They needed a hero. And I just happened to fill that position."

  Danielle peered through the gate and saw that there was nothing in the next area. "Well, I guess I'm in luck. No one is home." She stepped through and heard a buzzing sound. There was nothing in sight, until a strange looking nest was lowered in by a group of oversized insects. The Mothmants released the Monest when it was close to the ground and came at the Ranger. She backed away and drew her Vulcans. The insects were relatively easy to kill, but they continued to appear from the Monest. At least, they appeared until she tore it to shreds with the Agito. Two yellow Rag Rappies, which resembled an oversized bird, dropped in and waddled toward her. A single shot from the Vulcans was sufficient to kill them. Two of the gates in the area unlocked, but one led back to where Danielle had started.

  She looked around and saw a few buildings off to her right. "Guess I'm near the residential area. But where is everyone? It's like they just vanished into midair."

 The Ranger walked through the gate and saw a teleporter just ahead. Right next to it was yet another capsule. Danielle made sure that the area was cleared before playing the capsule's message.

  "Wow... bodies of dead animals... We hunters sometimes use firearms, but this... They were killed by firearms that are much stronger than ours!"

  "What is she talking about? There are no bodies here." Danielle shook her head, confused by everything that was happening. "Come on, Apsaras. I think this teleporter leads to the area around the Central Dome. Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone." The Mag bobbed up and down, as if nodding. The RAmarl stepped into the teleporter and vanished.

Planet Ragol: Forest: Central Dome

  Rain fell on Danielle's armor and skin. She had to admit it felt pleasant, refreshing even. It had been a long time since she felt the rain. There were two gates, one in front of her and one to the right. Only the one in front of her was unlocked, and there was a capsule on the ground near it. The RAmarl crouched down near it and played the message.

  "A disaster occurred. Things were shaking, then something broke through the surface. And then it exploded in the Central Dome! I don't know what to say… For 7 years, we've tried to adjust and improve the environment. What was it? Was it related to the accidents we've had recently?"

  Danielle brushed her bangs out of her face as she stood up. Now she was even more confused. If something exploded in the Central Dome, then why was it still here? The enormous structure bore no signs of destruction or an explosion. Through the unlocked gate, a pair of Savage Wolves woke up and attack. The RAmarl took out her Laser, a powerful rifle, and took careful aim at the animals. Two yellow bullets pierced the hide of one of the wolves, while the other took a single bullet to the neck. A few meters away, a Gobooma dug itself out of the ground and roared. Behind Danielle, a Gigobooma, a purpled furred and much nastier version of the Booma, came at the Ranger. She drew the Agito, dashed forward, and cut into the monster's flesh. It collapsed to the ground without a sound. The Gobooma was close enough to slash at her, and it did just that.

  Apsaras warned her of the attack, and Danielle dodged the claw in the nick of time. She brought her leg around and slammed it against the monster's face. Bones broke, and it clutched at its face in pain. The Gobooma stumbled away from the Ranger and fell into a pool of water. Two Rag Rappies dropped in and attempted to peck the Ranger to death. She easily avoided them and struck back by sending lightning bolts at the birds.

  "Zonde. Works like a charm every time," Danielle chuckled. The gate to her left unlocked as soon as the birds fell. There was a pathway with a capsule in it, along with two Boomas. They roared in anger at the intruder, but their anger turned to pain as they were struck with Zonde. Danielle took her Vulcans in hand and waited to make sure no more surprises popped out. Further down the path, two Savage Wolves slept. They didn't notice the RAmarl as she went over to the capsule.

  "Pioneer 1 may have damaged the ecological system of Ragol before we were aware of it. So, the native creatures tried to remove the invaders. That's one supposition. But what about the explosion!? I need more information. I have to go do some research."

  The wolves woke up as soon as the message finished. Danielle snapped up one of her Vulcans and pulled the trigger. The bullets overcame the Savage Wolves, but the Vulcan's Photon charge had run dry. Very bad, since two Goboomas and a Gigobooma were coming her way. Danielle used the last of the second Vulcan's energy before swapping them for Agito. The last surviving Gobooma cried for its fallen brothers and took on the RAmarl in a suicidal rage. The Agito carved into its flesh and struck the creature's heart in one swift move.

  Danielle felt the ground shake. "Oh, boy…" A giant animal with muscular arms had just dropped in and started for the Ranger. There was no way she was going to take that thing on in close range combat, so she slowly backed up while firing the Laser at the Hildebear. The Hildebear leaped into the air and landed right in front of Danielle. It drew back its arm and hit the girl with a punch that very nearly broke her ribs. Apsaras dodged out of the way as its master slammed against the wall.

  "Okay. This has got to end," Danielle panted. She discovered that she had dropped her Laser, and it happened to be right in front of the Hildebear when it stepped on the rifle. The RAmarl took out her last working long-range weapon, the Bravace, and shot the Hildebear in its apish face. A bullet went into the animals open mouth, and it died instantly. Danielle rubbed her ribs where she had been hit as she walked over to the remains of her rifle.

  There was little left of the rifle but metal pieces. "So, that leaves me with the Vulcans, a Bravace, and the Agito. I really need to buy some more weapons before I go on a mission," she muttered. The thought of the Vulcans reminded her that she needed to replace the Photon charges. With a flick of her wrist, she drew her Vulcans. Danielle pressed a key on the panel on her arm and her inventory showed. She skimmed through and found out that there was only one charge left for her weapons, and that was for her Bravace. Apsaras peered over her shoulder and let out a small beep. Its master sighed and took out the Agito.

  "Joy. I get stuck with a sword, and I'm not exactly a master with one of these. I should have brought some Telepipes." A gate to her left opened when Danielle approached it, and she spotted a large pillar. The symbols on it looked familiar, but the Ranger could not remember where she had seen them before. _In my dreams_, she realized. _I have seen this symbols in my dreams._ Danielle touched the monument with her hand, and jumped when it suddenly began to glow. She spotted a capsule on the ground and decided to hear what Rico had to say.

  "I heard that this tall column was built to commemorate the immigration of Pioneer 1. But... it may just be me, but it doesn't look very new. And these patterns... aren't they characters?"

  Danielle stared uncertainly at the monument. "What does it mean? Why were these characters in my dreams?" she asked no one in particular. The Ranger turned away and continued her search for a way into the Central Dome. Back in the area where Danielle had killed the Hildebear, there were three gates. One lead to a dead end, one led back to where she had started, and the last one led to the Central Dome. Once again, there was a capsule by the gate.

  "Tactics are important, but strategy is vital. You have to think about how you can put yourself into an advantageous situation. Look, learn, analyze and judge. Think carefully."

  Danielle thought for a moment. She was down to a pistol and a katana. It would be a good idea to heed Rico's words. After all, Rangers were the ones who used strategy the most, since they didn't excel in techniques or close-range combat. In the next area, a laser fence blocked access to the warp that lead to the Central Dome's entrance. There was a single Rag Rappy sitting by the fence's controls, but Danielle knew that there were more enemies hiding in the forest surrounding her.

  The RAmarl took out her Bravace and shot the Rappy, scaring it off. All of a sudden, an army of animals attacked. Savage Wolves and Barbarous Wolves leapt out of the forest, eager to kill the young Ranger. She quickly put away the Bravace and used the Agito to take out two Savage Wolves before they could bite her. Danielle reversed the katana and impaled a Barbarous Wolf straight through the skull without looking, but thankfully, she did not see its corpse. The last wolf snarled and bared its teeth. The young girl brought her left hand up and called down a lightning bolt from nowhere. The wolf was electrocuted instantly, its skin blackening in less than a second.

  The ground shook as another Hildebear landed in the area. This time, Danielle was prepared. As soon as it landed, a Zonde struck the Hildebear in the chest. It twitched, paralyzed by the lightning. Danielle dashed up and slashed at its torso as fast as possible. Its hide was tough, but not that tough. Two Boomas and a single Gobooma dug themselves out, eager for a fight. After them came three Gigoboomas. Once they fell, the area became quiet. Danielle deactivated the laser fence and stepped into the warp. That was when the fight of her life began. Every animal that she had encountered wanted a piece of her.

  The Ranger took her Bravace in one hand and Agito in the other. She was careful not to waste any bullets as she jammed the pistol in a Gobooma's gut and pulled the trigger. She spun around and broke the jaw of another Gobooma with her fist. Danielle utilized everything she had learned during her training to fight back the waves of animals. The only animal that wasn't there trying to kill her was the Hildebear. _It'll show up_, she thought grimly. The last animal, a Rag Rappy, fell beneath her katana, and the gate unlocked.

  A Hildebear was skulking around the Central Dome's entrance. Danielle thought that this area would be easy to clear, that is, until she met the Hildebear's friend. The Hildebear that dropped in was blue instead of red. That was when the Ranger realized it was a Hildeblue, a rare subspecies of the Hildebear. It saw its brethren's corpse and cried out in sadness. The Hildeblue froze Danielle with its breath and started for her. Apsaras saw that its master was in trouble and used Anti, one of the techniques that Mags could somehow master. The RAmarl leaped over the incoming fist and slashed at the giant ape's wrist. It grasped at the injury and tried to stop the bleeding. Danielle used the last of her technique power she could muster and sent a Foie blast straight into the creature's ugly face.

  The door to the inside of the Central Dome was before her. Danielle grasped the small crack in the doors and struggled to pull them apart. After a few minutes of trying, she gave up. The doors seemed to be shortened out, and there was no way she could bypass them. Danielle looked around for another way to get in.

  "Think," she told herself. "The doors can be opened, but I alone don't have the strength." Apsaras floated over to the door and beeped. It turned to her and boosted her strength. "I know what you're thinking, buddy, and I agree with your idea." With her strength increased by Shifta, she was able to pull the doors apart within a few minutes. Danielle took out a flashlight and turned it on. There was nothing in the room but a ventilation shaft leading deeper into the Dome and a pair of security doors. Despaired by her findings, she turned to leave when the doors leading outside slammed shut tightly.


	3. Growl, From the Depths of the Earth

Chapter 3: Growl, From the Depths of the Earth

Planet Ragol: Forest: Inside the Central Dome

  Danielle slammed her fist against the door hopelessly. She was trapped with no way to get back to the Pioneer 2 or even contact them. Something was jamming her BEE system, making contact with anyone outside the Dome impossible. The Ranger turned to her Mag and shook her head.

  "We're trapped buddy, and I think that not even you can get us out of this mess." She cursed herself for not learning Ryuker, the technique that could open a teleport gate, or telepipe, back to Pioneer 2. Danielle walked over to the ventilation shaft and removed the steel mesh covering it. If she was lucky, she could probably find some survivors or a telepipe. Heck, she could probably find a Ryuker disk. The trip down the shaft went well, until her hand touched a section of steel that was heated up and she lost her grip. Apsaras had a very hard time trying to keep up with her, since it couldn't fit in the shaft to begin with. The Ranger hit the steel mesh covering the other end of the ventilation shaft, broke through it, and landed hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her and making her black out.

Planet Ragol: Forest: Beneath the Central Dome

  A gentle nudging against her face woke Danielle up. She shook her head and opened her eyes. She was in a large cave with a security door built into the wall. The Ranger stumbled to her feet and started for the door. That was when she heard a crash and a low, menacing roar. Danielle had never been one to believe in the myths about dragons, that is, until now. The creature was humongous, breathing fire with every roar. If Mags could have a face to make expressions with, then Apsaras and Danielle's expressions would be exactly the same.

  The Dragon started toward Danielle, moving at a slow but steady pace. She drew her Bravace and pulled the trigger as fast as possible. Ten bullets slammed into the creature's face, and it barely even flinched. The Dragon sent a jet of flame flying at her, which barely missed her. Danielle checked her inventory and took out a Difluid, a liquid that restored a person's technique power, and drank it. Immediately she used Zonde and zapped the Dragon in the head. It roared and flew into the air, eyeing the Ranger angrily. It sent a fireball flying at Danielle, who jumped out of the way to avoid it. Clearly irritated by the human, the Dragon dove into the ground, splashing lava onto the rock.

  "Great, now I have to worry about stepping in the lava along with fighting the Dragon." Something tunneled her way and slammed into her. The Ranger was sent flying by the sudden attack. She pushed herself up, wincing at the pain in her right arm. As the Dragon prepared to ram her again, she leaped out of the way of its tunneling form. The Dragon burst out of the rock and landed on the ground. It turned its head towards her and sent a jet of fire her way. The Ranger dove out of the way, rolling before coming up in a crouch. Apsaras alerted Danielle that its photon blast was ready for use, the team's trump card.

  "Go, Apsaras! Photon Blast Golla!" A large creature that resembled a stag with much longer antlers appeared above them. Energy built up along its antlers and shot out at the Dragon. Golla vanished and the Dragon roared in pain. It collapsed to the ground, severely injured, but not dead. Its breathing was low and ragged, but it was eager to continue the fight. Danielle gulped and ran for the security door. It was locked, but there was an item box by it. Keeping her eye on the Dragon, she picked it up and opened it. To her luck, there was a telepipe inside. The RAmarl pressed the activation button and dropped it. She quickly stepped into it and disappeared.

Pioneer 2: Shopping District

  Danielle stumbled out of the telepipe, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She had just gotten very lucky. That photon blast did much more damage than what it normally did, which was very rare. If the blast were at normal strength, then she would still be fighting the Dragon. The RAmarl put away her weapons and Mag and headed for Principal Tyrell's office to speak with him. Even though she had sent all the data she learned to him earlier, he still wished to see her when she returned. Danielle showed her ID to the guards and entered the teleporter.

  Principal Tyrell looked relieved to see the Ranger relatively uninjured. She told him about the Dragon beneath the Central Dome and how the doors to the Central Dome had suddenly closed while she was in it. The Principal shook his head, confused by what had happened.

  "Pioneer 1 had never mentioned a dragon in their report to us. I wonder exactly how much they kept hidden… Anyway, we have discovered some caves beneath the Dome. It is possible that there are survivors there, so we need for you to continue searching." It looked like there was something else he wanted to say, but he didn't say it. Danielle mentally shrugged and headed for the Shopping District. She needed a new Laser and some more Photon charges for her weapons. The Arms Shop owner took her order and went to get the weapon and ammo.

  The shop owner tapped the RAmarl on the shoulder and handed her the things she had ordered. Danielle handed him the Meseta and walked out of the Shopping District, and to the surface teleporter.

Author's Note: Yeah, it's a small chapter, but I really had no clue how to make the battle drawn out. Sorry. Hope you still like my story, though.


	4. The Kink in the Wind and the Way

Chapter 4: The Kink in the Wind and the Way

Planet Ragol: Caves: Volcanic Area

  The caves were smoldering hot, and it was quite difficult to breathe. It was in the first room that she discovered the inhabitants of this molten wasteland. They resembled sharks, but they were bipedal with razor sharp scythes for arms and four eyes. Three of the "Evil Sharks", as Rico called them, attacked Danielle. She pointed a Vulcan at two of the Altered Beasts and opened fire. The bullets went into the first's open mouth and killed it instantly, while the second's legs were torn to pieces. The RAmarl had no time to shoot the third, so she merely used Zonde on it. The Evil Shark fell over, its mouth frozen in a silent scream. Two Poison Lilies, oversized flowers that could poison a human, decided to take on Danielle next. The poisonous blobs that they launched barely missed her as she ran forward to cut them down. Agito in hand, the RAmarl sliced through the plants' stems in one swift stroke. There was a capsule by the large door in the room, which meant Rico had been through here.

  "Wow... this cave is a treasure trove of discoveries. Creatures that have never been seen by people. Completely unknown animals. They look like mutant forms of the native animals... Perhaps the government has kept this a secret...? It's possible... but for what purpose."

  A purple Pal Shark snuck up behind Danielle while she was listening to the message. She noticed its shadow and rolled out of the way of the incoming arm. The RAmarl spun around and blasted the shark with the Bravace. Its green blood made her grimace as it landed on her uncovered skin. _Man, that's gross_, she thought. Deeper into the caves, she encountered more ferocious creatures, such as the Nano Dragon, which grew stronger as it killed others, and the Grass Assassin, a large creature with bladed arms and an adhesive webbing.

  If there was one thing that Danielle learned in the first few rooms, it was to never let a Nano Dragon finish off the other mutants for you. She had let one take out five Evil Sharks, and the thing became almost as big as a Grass Assassin. Its power had increased dramatically, as she had soon learned when the Nano Dragon fired a beam and disintegrated an Evil Shark. The RAmarl dashed forward and pulled the Vulcans' triggers at point blank range. The Nano Dragon shrieked in pain as the bullets tore into its mutated flesh. Danielle took a deep breath and sat back against one of the room's walls. She had been fighting nonstop, and it was taking its toll. Suddenly, she heard the sound of voices coming from a nearby hallway.

  "Please, Jaden, if you just let me talk to it, then maybe I can make it stop."

  "How stupid are you, Draslushee? This thing is a monster! A mutated freak! It won't listen to you!"

  The all too familiar sound of a Nano Dragon's beam was heard, and the girl muttered a curse. A rifle fired three shots, and the Nano Dragon roared in pain. Danielle got to her feet and looked around the corner and saw a RAmarl with violet hair and white fatigues holding a Justy 23ST. A HUmar with jet-black hair cut short and white armor was holding a Musashi, a pair of double swords. There was a frown on his face as he looked at the Nano Dragon's corpse.

  "Really, Jaden. I could have talked to the dragon and convinced him to stop."

  The RAmarl shook her head, an annoyed look on her face.

  "How many times do I have to tell you? It is not possible to talk to a dragon, let alone a mutated one. I think you are out of your mind."

  She must have noticed Danielle looking around the corner, for she readied her Justy.

  "Whoever you are, come out slowly with your hands where I can see them."

  Danielle did as the Ranger told, not sure who the two hunters were. Jaden, the RAmarl, lowered her rifle when she saw the other Ranger. Draslushee adjusted his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He had heard of this RAmarl before. She was supposedly the best Ranger at the military academy that both Jaden and he had attended. There were rumors that Danielle rivaled Rico Tyrell herself.

  "Danielle? What are you doing here?" Draslushee asked. Her eyes widened as she remembered her fellow classmates.

  "I should be asking that question. I'm exploring the caves by the orders of Principal Tyrell."

  Jaden nodded. "Same here. Why don't we work together? It will be easier for all of us." Since Jaden was the older RAmarl, Danielle assumed she would take the lead. That was not to be, as Jaden asked what to do.

  "Well, I found capsules from Rico, so there is evidence that at least someone survived. I'm not sure how long these caves are, but there is a good chance that we can catch up with Rico if we hurry. It's possible that there may be others hiding here, too."

  The newly formed team continued deeper into the caves. Danielle learned that Draslushee was obsessed with dragons, and he refused to harm them. It seemed that he and Jaden were constantly arguing, and their constant bickering was annoying Danielle. It was a relief when they finally found the teleporter. The RAmarl turned to her friends.

  "Dras, would you please stop talking about dragons for once?" she asked. He crossed his arms and pouted.

  "But I like them! If you just let me try and talk to them…" Jaden hit him in the head and whispered something in his ear. Dras nodded, a fearful look in his eye.

  "We're ready to go, Danielle," the RAmarl said. Their leader nodded and stepped into the teleporter.

Planet Ragol: Caves: Water Area

  The group was amazed by the change in scenery. One minute they were in a lava filled cave, the next they were in a beautiful paradise, complete with waterfalls and trees. Things were going well, until Draslushee began to complain about killing the dragons again. Lucky for Danielle, there was a capsule in the small room, and she walked over to it.

  "I know that Pioneer 1 had some strange aspects to it. In the data I procured, the consumption rate was much higher than the population… Perhaps there were a lot of non-registered citizens aboard. Why? What was their purpose?"

  Jaden and Dras walked over to Danielle, and she noticed a red mark on the HUmar's cheek. _Maybe now he will shut up_, the RAmarl thought. Deeper still, the team went, and they found no human beings.

  They were in a room with multiple waterfalls, far more powerful versions of the Evil Shark attacked. Danielle faced off against one of the Guil Sharks in close range combat. Its bladed arm sank into her flesh, and she cried out in pain. The other RAmarl spun around and pulled the trigger on her Justy. Her partner was busy cutting through the Lilies with a sword that could somehow change its shape at will. One second it was a saber, the next it was a partisan. Dras swiftly dodged the incoming toxic spit and cut the Lily at its stem.

  "Hey girls! I found another capsule!" Draslushee yelled from near the now unlocked door. The leader gave Jaden her thanks and walked over to Dras. Danielle activated her recording device and played the message.

  "Come to think of it, there was something very strange about Pioneer 1. Pioneer 1 was designed to be used as material to build the Central Dome. But we discovered that the Dome was 12% smaller than it should have been. We wondered about the 12% that was missing… We might be able to figure out more if we continue investigating."

  Draslushee scratched the back of his head, and asked what was so important about this information.

  "Right now, I'm not too sure. Maybe we'll find out later. And I have a question, Dras. What is that sword you are using? I have never seen anything like it before."

  The HUmar chuckled and spun the blade around. "This is the Kameko Blade. Legends say that it was created by dragons back on Coral. It can change its shape at my command."

  Jaden shook her head. "How many times must I tell you, Dras? The only dragons that are alive live here on Ragol. It was just a myth on Coral."

  Instead of arguing, the Hunter walked away and through the room's door. The two Rangers looked at each other with confused looks on their faces, and then followed their friend. The next room had a tree growing in a pool of water and yet another waterfall. The pool seemed to be a couple of feet deep, but it was hard to tell. A Poison Lily and a Grass Assassin attacked first, and were easily defeated. The Evil Sharks and Guil Sharks appeared, and that was when the trouble started.

  Danielle happened to be on the very edge of the pool of water when one of the Sharks knocked her in. She grabbed the edge as quickly as she could and struggled to get back up. With the weight of her armor, she wouldn't be able to get herself out. The Ranger struggled to get some air, and was surprised when someone grabbed her arm. Jaden tried to pull out her friend, and didn't see the Nano Dragon behind her.

  "Jaden! Behind you!" The RAmarl glanced over her shoulder, her eyes going wide with fear. The Nano Dragon was about to launch its beam, when Draslushee charged forward and impaled the Kameko Blade into its neck. Dras had a look of pity on his face as he withdrew the sword and jogged over to the girls. He grabbed Danielle's arm and helped pull her up. The younger RAmarl shook her head, ashamed of making such an error.

  "Thanks, Dras. I owe you, big time."

  "Yeah. Same here," Jaden said.

  Dras smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing. You don't owe me anything," he said quietly. Danielle wondered what was bugging him as she walked toward the door to her left. There was a pillar in there, like the one in the forest. The leader walked up to the pillar and placed a hand on it. Like the one in the forest, this monument began to glow, and the symbols that she had seen in her dreams appeared. Rico had left a message capsule on the ground, and Danielle played the message recorded on it.

  "My first question about Ragol was, 'Why didn't any sentient life exist here?' But… look at this monument! This is identical to the one I saw in the forest! It's NOT ours though… Was there an ancient civilization on Ragol? But these monuments are the only evidence I see… It'd be strange if there was a civilization, indeed… Can I decipher these characters with my simple tools?"

  Draslushee stepped forward and took a look at the characters himself. "I think this must be some sort of ancient dragon dialect. Fascinating…" he muttered. Jaden smacked him over the back of the head and glared at him. The HUmar rubbed his head, an apologetic look on his face.

  "Come on you two, let's go," Danielle said. They found another capsule right before the teleporter to the next caves area. Hoping for some more info on the monument, the group played the message and listened.

  "Ah, the characters on the monument… I don't have any idea how to proceed. I need more samples."

  The only guy in the group frowned, very disappointed by the lack of info. "Wow. Such important information," he said sarcastically. This time, it was Danielle who hit him on the back of the head before stepping into the teleporter. Jaden chuckled and followed her fellow Ranger. "Why does everyone have to hit me?" Draslushee whined.

Planet Ragol: Caves: Third Area

  A Pan Arms, a creature that could split into two, turned to the intruders entering its room. As the hunters flanked the beast, it split into Hidoom and Migium, and each part went after the Rangers. That was when a HUmar ran in from behind, his blade transforming into its sword form. The Altered Beasts barely had time to turn around before the sword cut through them. A Pofuilly Slime appeared and tried to swipe at the hunters with its tail. The liquid creature could move its razor sharp tail anywhere, since its body was like water.

  A scratch appeared on Dras's leg as the tail cut into his armor. The HUmar silently cursed and charged down the slime. The Kameko Blade shifted into a partisan, and was impaled through the Pofuilly Slime's head. The creature exploded, spraying the walls with water. Draslushee turned to his partners, who were taking on a large group of Evil Sharks. Despite not being so good at close-range combat, the girls were taking out the Altered Beasts with ease. Jaden had a Double Saber in hand and was covering Danielle. The younger RAmarl was hosing the sharks with bullets, keeping a close eye on her Photon gauge. As soon as it ran dry, she drew her Agito and backed up to Jaden.

  "Hey, Dras! A little help over here?" Danielle called over her shoulder. An Evil Shark's arm came down, and the Ranger used her barrier to hold it back. Her arm shook as she struggled to stop the shark's blade. The mutant was stronger than she had thought, and there was another one coming at her. Danielle stabbed the first shark in the gut, and sent a kick at the second's face. Draslushee ran up to her side, taking out a Poison Lily that had appeared. With the last of the enemies dead, the room's gate unlocked. The three hunters had been traveling in the new area for quiet some time, and there had been no sign of survivors, just like the last two areas. There was another capsule by the unlocked gate, and the group went to listen to it.

  "I've got such mixed emotions… I'm scared, but excited, inspired even! Should I act as a scientist now? Or should I act as a hunter who is facing unknown enemies? I feel like someone's herding me somewhere… but where? To the underground… I feel like I'm being invited."

  These words made Danielle's blood run cold. So she wasn't imagining things. Rico felt the same thing she did. There was something that wanted her to go deeper into the caves, but Danielle had thought it was just her imagination running wild. The RAmarl called up her area map and looked to see where they hadn't been yet. Most of the caves had been explored, except for one section northeast of their position. Danielle sighed and turned to the others.

  "The only place that we haven't checked out yet is the docks near the underground channel. It is a long walk from here to there." Dras grinned.

  "Doesn't matter. Let's just hurry up and go." He jogged off, following his own map. Jaden shook her head and followed her friend. The hunters passed through many rooms they had cleared out during the last hour. _When this is over_, Danielle thought tiredly, _I am so going to take the rest of the day off_. The door to the docks was locked by three switches, which each of the hunters had to step on at the same time. As soon as the door was unlocked, another capsule turned on.

  "I saw it with my own eyes. An animal metamorphosed when it was pierced by a tentacle from that giant worm. Were the monsters I saw in the cave all changed by that giant worm?"

  Draslushee gulped and looked through the door. The docks looked empty, with nothing more than the corpse of an Evil Shark that looked like it wasn't through mutating. "I'm not really too sure about this, girls," he said quietly. Danielle stepped past him and walked into the docks. Jaden followed, along with a reluctant Draslushee.

  Beneath the waves, a creature stirred.


	5. From Seeing the Rough Wave

Chapter 5: From Seeing the Rough Wave

Planet Ragol: Caves: Underground Channel

  The raft the three hunters were standing on suddenly activated, startling them. There was a giant splash from behind, and the friends turned in unison. A gigantic worm swam up beside the raft, its tentacles waving in the air behind it.

  "I think we found that monster Rico was talking about," Jaden said weakly. De Rol Le jumped out of the water, sending purple spheres of energy at the hunters. The spheres impacted against the hunters' shields, but did not harm them.  Danielle took out her Bravace, Jaden drew her Justy 23ST, and Dras quickly went through his inventory, searching for his Custom Ray ver. 00.

  "I can't find my pistol!" he cried. Danielle was busy with De Rol Le, so Jaden turned to her friend. She drew a Custom Ray and tossed it to him.

  "Next time, remember to get your weapons from me," she told him as she turned back to the giant worm. It fell back behind the raft, then leaped into the air and landed on it. Dras was knocked off balance, and he fell to the floor. The raft tilted, and water spilled aboard. De Rol Le's armored carapace protected it from their attacks, but the armor weakened with every blow. That was when one of the tentacles shot out and nearly pierced Draslushee.

  "Ah! I don't want to know what would have happened if that hit me!" he yelled as he scrambled to his feet. Another tentacle came down, this time aimed at Danielle. She dodged the first one by backing up, then deflected the second one with her shield. Jaden was already moving by the time the fourth tentacle struck. De Rol Le, frustrated by its failed attempt to pierce them, released the raft and sank back into the water.

  The lights blinked off and on, until they went out, plunging the hunters into darkness. They could hear De Rol Le's splashing sounds, but could not see it. The worm leaped out of the water, sending the energy spheres at the humans again. Once more, they were deflected by the shields. De Rol Le swam behind the raft, then lifted itself out of the water. The hunters could see its silhouette, and decided to keep moving in case of any attack. A large, purple energy beam shot out from the mutant's mouth and very nearly hit Jaden. Another beam shot out, this time aimed at Dras. He cursed and rolled to the left, bringing up his Custom Ray and firing. The mask covering De Rol Le's face shattered, but it was too dark to see anything. Instead of firing another beam, the monster dove back into the water. The lights flickered, and then came back on.

  The hunters raised their weapons and opened fire on De Rol Le's uncovered head. The bullets impacted the flesh, and the mutant screeched in pain. It latched onto the raft again, and the hunters got a look at its true face. It had one large eye, and many smaller eyes running in a line on the side of its head. Its mouth was nothing more than a hole with teeth inside. Draslushee took out his Kameko Blade and charged forward. The blade changed into a partisan, and he impaled it through De Rol Le's eye. The mutant released the raft, and sank into the water. When it reared up behind the raft, the hunters braced for an attack. De Rol Le screamed in pain before falling into the water.

  "Do you think it's dead?" Danielle asked, eyeing the water wearily. Her fellow Ranger shrugged and turned toward the front of the raft. It went through a gate and began to slow down. They pulled up to a smaller dock, and stopped completely. The hunters got off and walked over to the dock's door. It was locked with a keypad, and they didn't know the code. Dras sighed.

  "We have no way to get through, unless someone happens to be a computer expert." To his surprise, Danielle smiled.

  "Allow me." She walked up to the keypad, and took off the cover. Her friends watched with interest as she hacked into the system and unlocked the door. They went through and entered a human-made area.

   "Let's get back to Pioneer 2," the younger RAmarl suggested. "We should rest before continuing on. I don't know about you, but I am dead tired." Dras and Jaden nodded in agreement, and the HUmar dropped a Telepipe. They stepped into it and returned home.

Pioneer 2: Yellowboze Sector

  Draslushee and Jaden talked with Danielle all the way to her house, catching up on what had happened since graduation. Jaden and Dras had begun to date just this year, and things were going well. When Danielle was asked if she had a boyfriend, she laughed and shook her head.

  "Not yet. I doubt I will any time soon, either." At the door to her house, she said good-bye to her friends and watched them walk out of sight. The RAmarl opened her door, and gasped when she saw Amanda's body on the floor. Danielle dropped to her knees and felt for her friend's pulse. She turned Amanda over, and saw the timer to a bomb slowly tick down the last five seconds.

  "Oh, shoot," she muttered.

  Dras and Jaden were walking down the street when they were thrown to the ground by a sudden wave of heat and pressure. They looked back, and saw smoke coming from the direction of Danielle's house. Sirens sounded throughout the air as the police came to investigate. The two hunters got to their feet and ran to the burning house, calling their friend's name. Pieces of debris scattered the area, but there was no sign of their friend.

  A purple and white HUcast, holding the Soul Eater, was standing over someone. Dras immediately recognized the form on the ground as Danielle. The HUmar took out his Custom Ray and shot the android, who was about to bring down his scythe. The bullets slammed into his armor, and he muttered a curse. The HUcast took a step back, then turned around and ran away. Jaden ran over to Danielle and checked on her, while Dras chased the android. But the android had managed to get away, and there was no way to find out who he was. Draslushee ran over to his girlfriend and Danielle.

  "Is she okay?" Jaden nodded, but she still had a worried look on her face.

  "I can heal her with Resta, but she will still have a few scars." The RAmarl concentrated on using the technique she had learned, and healed the injuries. Firefighters had arrived on the scene, and were struggling to put out the blaze. Danielle moaned, and opened her eyes.

  "What just happened?" she mumbled.

  "Somebody tried to take you out," Dras said. "I think it may have been Black Paper." Black Paper was a criminal organization that was feared by all. They traded stolen weapons, parts, and even humans on the black market. Danielle sat up, wincing at the pain in her body. She stared at the burning remains of her house, remembering her friend and mentor that had been murdered.

  "Amanda…" she whispered. Jaden and Dras helped her to her feet, and they walked away.

Pioneer 2: Principal Tyrell's Office

  Principal Tyrell sat at his desk, massaging his temple tiredly. He was going over the latest data received from Danielle and her team, when he got in a report that there was an explosion in the Yellowboze sector. He read the address at which the explosion occurred, and his blood ran cold. Danielle's house had been destroyed by an explosion, and there was no sign of the Ranger. While the ones responsible for this were unknown, Tyrell knew that it was Black Paper. After all, Danielle's father had arrested the most members of Black Paper, and had foiled just about every one of their plans. He had decided to go aboard Pioneer 1, leaving his daughter and son with his wife. Max Sterling was a great hunter, and a good friend of the Tyrells. The day before Pioneer 1's launch, Max had spoken with Tyrell in private.

  "If anything happens to my wife, please watch after Danielle and Alex for me."

  Then, the year before Pioneer 2 was slated to launch, Max's wife was killed, along with his son. Since Tyrell was going to be on Pioneer 2, he arranged to have Danielle aboard the ship and attending a school. It was on that day that they had discovered the mysterious virus in her body. If anything had happened to her now, when they were so close to actually developing a cure, he would never forgive himself.

  A few hours later, someone entered his office. It was Danielle. Tyrell was relieved to see her alive, and a smile spread across his face. The RAmarl walked up to his desk, a worried look on her own face.

  "Principal Tyrell, sir. I am going to go to the mines we discovered now. If Draslushee and Jaden ask you where I am, don't tell them." The Principal was surprised.

  "Do you mind telling me why you want to do this? It is going to be dangerous, you know. We have no clue as to what is in those mines, and you may need help."

  "I have a bad feeling about this. Something is calling me to the underground, I can feel it. I don't want to put my friends in danger. Please, try to understand."

  Tyrell thought for a moment. "I will not tell them. But please, come back alive." Danielle nodded and turned away. The Principal watched her go and sighed. It would be hard to lie to his most trusted hunters, but it had to be done. He looked at the picture on his desk. It was he and Rico at a picnic. His heart ached at the thought of his daughter, lost somewhere on the planet.

  "Be safe, Rico. I don't know what I would do if I lost you…"

Author's Note: Okay, so this isn't exactly one of my best chapters, but I really tried to make this interesting when writing it. Hope you like it, anyway.


	6. Empty Space Out of Control

Chapter 6: Empty Space Out of Control

Planet Ragol: Mines: Razorback Mines Level 1

  Danielle looked around, Vulcans in hand. She was in a small room with a computer, which she walked over to. Being an expert hacker, she could easily enter even a military computer and call up whatever information she desired. In a few seconds, she had a map of the entire mine, both levels. She uploaded it to her BEE system and exited the room. She walked into the next room and headed for the door. There was a capsule near it, and the RAmarl played the message.

  "Is this… Is this where the missing material from Pioneer 1 was used…? Why did they dig a tunnel all the way down here? And why didn't they say anything about it to the citizens…"

  Danielle looked at her map, trying to find the shortest route to the next level. If memory served correct, there should be an AI or two somewhere in the mines. If she could find one of them, then she would be able to find out what had happened here. The Ranger walked into the next room and encountered the first enemy of the mines.

  It was a robot originally used for mining. But weapons had been added to them, such as energy cannons. The Gillchic class robots that attacked were armed with the cannons, making it dangerous to attack them at any range. A purple beam flew past her head while she was shooting at one of the Gillchics. Shaken up by the near miss, the RAmarl turned around and sent a Foie blast at the robot. The metal was melted, and the circuits ignited. The Gillchic became a burning wreck, as another took its place.

  "Really, this is already getting aggravating," Danielle muttered. Four more Gillchics arrived, but they were demolished by the hail of bullets. The room's door unlocked, and a capsule activated. Interested in what Rico had discovered, the Ranger jogged over to it and played the message.

  "I'm attacked by robots this time… What are they?! They were customized robots originally for industrial use. …Who did this? I can understand animals being metamorphosed by a crustacean into mutants, but… These are robots. Somebody modified them. Was it done by someone from Pioneer 1?"

  Someone was watching Danielle, but every time she would turn around, no one would be there. "Probably another hunter from Pioneer 2 playing little games with me," she mumbled. She pressed on deeper into the Razorback Mines, searching for the control room. Canadines, small robots that floated in the air and could attack with bolts of electricity, would occasionally appear in formations, led by a Canune. The red versions of the Canadine were more powerful, and they controlled the actions of the Canadines in formation around it. Once, when she had destroyed a Canune, the Canadines did a suicide run. They spun around, alarms blaring, and tried to catch Danielle in their self-destruct explosions.

  By far the most powerful of all the machines were the Sinow Beat and Sinow Gold class robots. They would drop from the ceiling, landing silently on the floor, and leap at the RAmarl with their Photon blades extended. When a Sinow Beat had not been able to hit Danielle, it leapt backwards and split into six different machines. Only one of them had the red lights on its shoulder like a Sinow Beat did, so the Ranger suspected that particular machine was the real one. A bullet from the Laser penetrated its neck and cut the main power wires. The Sinow Beat toppled over, and the other clones disappeared.

  Keeping her rifle held at ready, Danielle walked past the fallen machine to another capsule. With the luck she was having, an enemy would probably end up attacking her while she was listening to the message. "Don't jinx yourself," she whispered. Taking another look around, the Ranger played the message.

  "I heard a rumor that the government was building a secret underground factory. Were the robots manufactured in that secret factory? Or was that factory a decoy? The government was developing another project behind it… Information is always controlled by the government. We don't know the truth at all. We hunters are always used by the government. We're just tools to them."

  As much as Danielle hated to admit it, Rico was right. Hunters were just tools. Always being sent on quests, never being told the details. It made the RAmarl wonder what was really going on. Fighting monsters to solve a mystery was one thing. But government conspiracies? That was something she would rather not deal with. She didn't want to become the government's enemy, along with Black Paper's. The thought of that organization's name made her blood boil. They were responsible for the death of her mother, and had almost killed her. If she ever got her hands on one of those monsters, she would make them pay dearly.

  The sound of something metallic landing on the floor made Danielle spin around. A Sinow Gold, a more powerful variant of the Sinow Beat, was charging forward, its blade extended. Instincts kicked in, and the Ranger ducked under its blade. Mad at herself for committing such an error as not paying attention to her surroundings, the Ranger drew the Agito and impaled it through the Sinow Gold's lower back. Oil spilled from the hole onto Danielle's hands. Still functional, the Sinow Gold backhanded Danielle and sent her flying backwards. The machine crossed its arms, and the damage was instantly repaired.

  "No way! That thing can use Resta?" The machine charged forward again, pouncing on the downed Ranger. Its blade nearly touched her throat, and it would have, unless Danielle had been struggling to hold back its arm. She stared into its red eyes, remembering her training. The metal on the Sinow Gold's arm heated up, and the Sinow looked at its arm with interest. Wincing in pain from the heated metal, Danielle focused her power on melting her enemy's arm. By the time the Sinow Gold found out what she was doing, it was too late. Its arm was immobile, and there was no way to repair it. Danielle took out her Vulcans and blasted the machine with a trio of bullets into the face. She took a deep breath, and walked through the door. Before her was a teleporter to the next level of the mines.

  Unbeknownst to the Ranger, a figure was watching her from the shadows, impressed by her fight with the Sinow Gold. "So this is the child Black Paper is so afraid of… Now I see what they are worried about. She will surely disrupt our plans." The figure waited a few minutes after Danielle had stepped into the teleporter before following himself.

Planet Ragol: Mines: Razorback Mines Level 2

  A large machine covered in green armor rolled forward, looking for the intruder Vol Opt had warned it about. The Pioneer 1 forces badge painted on its armor, a white claymore against a blue background, was still gleaming under the dim lights. Suddenly, a young girl walked into the room, and the Garanz's targeting computer tracked her. Even if she weren't the target the machine was assigned to eliminate, it would still kill her. All intruders in the mines were to be eliminated. Two of the missile rack doors popped open, and four missiles headed for the girl. She saw them closing in, and shot them out of the air. Annoyed by the human's actions, the Garanz prepared to launch another salvo of missiles. The Ranger charged forward, took out the Agito, and cut through the many layers of armor. Unfortunately, all the attack did was reveal more missile tubes. Over a dozen missiles launched from their tubes and tracked the RAmarl. She ran behind the Garanz, and cringed as the missiles impacted on the armor and sent pieces of metal flying all over the place. The room's door unlocked, and the Ranger breathed a sigh of relief.

  Things hadn't been looking so good in the second level of the mines. There was much heavier opposition than before, and the military's Baranz class robots were everywhere. The machines were loaded with heat-seeking missiles, but they could be used against the behemoths. Just run behind a Garanz, and the missiles would hit the machine instead. Danielle sat back against a wall and rubbed her eyes. Normally, she would just drop a telepipe and go back to the city for a little sleep. But something wasn't allowing her to return. Every Telepipe she dropped wouldn't open, meaning she had to continue on deeper. Danielle's eyes began to close, when she heard a strange sound. At first, it was barely audible. But then she was able to hear her name being said. She looked up, eyes searching the room. No one was there but her. The Ranger got to her feet and headed for the unlocked door. She had a feeling that whatever was calling her to the underground was close. When Danielle opened the door, she found another monument with a capsule by it. She walked over and played the message.

  "Here, I found the third one. Will it fit together when all the parts are combined? 'Light, darkness, pair, exist, unlimited, rule, seal…' I can make out each word, but I still don't understand the meaning of the whole thing."

  Danielle glanced up at the monument, touching it with her hand. It began to glow, activating a computer that was near it. Interested in finding out what the government had discovered about the monument, the RAmarl walked over to the computer. When she entered a command, the screen went blank. An error message appeared, saying that all information on the monument had been destroyed by a virus. Shaking her head, Danielle turned for the second door. The virus had only targeted the files on the monument. Everything else was still intact. She bet that someone had purposely destroyed the files to stop anyone from finding them.

  In the next room, a large group of Dubchics appeared. These robots, which resembled Gillchics, could piece themselves back together after taking heavy damage. Unsure if it was possible to defeat the machines, Danielle spotted a small service station floating around some distance behind her. She aimed one of her Vulcans at it and opened fire. The station exploded, and the Dubchics self -destructed. Surprised at how simple it was to kill them, the RAmarl didn't notice the approaching Sinow Beat. She ducked under its massive arms as it tried to slice her in half. Danielle aimed her Vulcans at the Sinow Beat's head and pulled the trigger. Bullets slammed into the machine's head, and it toppled over backwards.

  The Ranger looked at her map again. The monitor room shouldn't be too far away now. Vol Opt, one of the military artificial intelligences in the mines, was supposed to reside there. If she could find Vol Opt and question it, then she could find out what happened. Every time she checked a computer, the search would bring up nothing explaining the disappearance of all the people. Danielle smiled when she saw that the entrance to the monitor room wasn't too far away. She walked up to an unlocked door, went through, and sidled up against the wall. Someone was following her, and she wanted to know who. As soon as her follower drew near, Danielle jumped around the corner and aimed her Vulcans at the person. It was a HUmar with white hair, white armor, and a scarred face. He carried a Heat Saber, and had a Kama as a Mag.

  "Who are you?" Danielle asked. The HUmar smiled.

  "My name is Zechs. I am a hunter exploring these mines."

  "If you are exploring, then why are you following me?"

  Zechs looked surprised. "I wasn't following you. I was just trying to find my way to the monitor room here."

  Even though she still wasn't too sure about this Hunter, Danielle lowered her weapons. "My name is Danielle. I am looking for the monitor room, too."

  "Really?" Zechs asked, looking interested. "Why don't we work together? It will be easier for both of us." Danielle took one look at the HUmar's injuries and guessed that he had a lot of trouble fighting the machines.

  "Okay, that would be fine. I could always use some company," the RAmarl replied. Zechs grinned, obviously relieved. _Great, now I got to baby-sit this newbie, along with trying to find Rico_, Danielle though angrily. _This just isn't my day._ Lucky for Danielle, the entrance to the monitor room was just through the next door. There was a palm scanner next to the security door, and neither of the hunters had clearance for it. The Ranger knelt next to the scanner and got to work. Zechs watched with interest as she managed to make the door open. The hunters stepped through into the monitor room. The door slammed shut behind them, and the lights went out.

  "This can't be good," Danielle muttered.


	7. The Crazy Program

Chapter 7: The Crazy Program

Planet Ragol: Mines: Monitor Room

  "What's going on? I can't see a thing," Zechs said nervously. Danielle quieted him, and used his Heat Saber's glow to find her way to a computer console.

  "Get over here, Zechs, and let me use you Saber for light." He obeyed, and Danielle began to type in various commands. Still nothing. The RAmarl shook her head and headed for the door they came through. Zechs held his Saber to where she could get enough light and waited. While Danielle was trying to get the door to open, the lights came on in an instant, and an alarm sounded. Danielle looked up at Zechs, before screaming in pain as electricity surged into her body. The Ranger was thrown backwards, and the monitor screens came on. Vol Opt's physical form appeared before them on one of the monitors and circled the room.

  "Danielle! Are you alright?" She sat up, shaking of the effects of the shock. It had unsettled her more than it had caused injury.

  "I'm fine, but I would rather not repeat that little experience. Let's take this guy down." She drew Vulcans and aimed at the monitor Vol Opt was on. "This is for electrocuting me," the RAmarl whispered as she pulled the trigger. Sparks flew, and glass shattered. Vol Opt entered another screen, which was destroyed by a hail of bullets. The third monitor it entered was near Zechs, who was unsure of what to do. "Zechs! Take out the monitor that Vol Opt is on!" Danielle yelled. The HUmar nodded and took out his Daggers. He threw them both into the monitor that Vol Opt was looking out of, and winced at the shower of sparks that landed on him.

  There was a mechanical sound, and four pillars rose from the floor. One of them was flashing red, and Danielle had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, a bolt of electricity shot out and hit Zechs. The charge rippled across his armor and dissipated. It was obvious that he was not happy. He charged the pillar that had attacked him and sliced through it. The other pillars retracted back into the ground. Vol Opt reappeared on an intact monitor and began to circle the room once again. Five monitors were left now, so Danielle took each of them out. The pillars rose up once again, and the hunters took out the red one before the others.

  "Doesn't this seem a bit too easy?" Zechs asked. His teammate nodded and took out another pillar. Suddenly, explosions rocked the room, making the hunters lose balance. Vol Opt's immense body lowered itself from the ceiling and turned to face them. It then spun around, opening up panels and revealing missile tubes. Two missiles shot out and headed for the hunters. Zechs jumped out of the way, making the missile impact against the wall. Danielle pulled out her Bravace and shot down the one coming after her. Vol Opt spun around again and presented a new side to them. A targeting laser tracked each of the hunters, and the RAmarl began to run.

  "Zechs! Get moving!" she ordered. Two large metal pillars, which must have been Vol Opt's legs, came crashing down on each of the hunters. It came so fast, that even the leg brushing against her shoulder sent the Ranger sprawling. Danielle rolled out of the way of the other two strikes and prayed Zechs was okay. Clutching her shoulder in pain, the RAmarl got to her feet and retrieved her Bravace. She opened fire on Vol Opt's head, scoring a couple of direct hits. From the sounds on the machine's other side, it was obvious that Zechs had found his Daggers and was attacking one of Vol Opt's sides.

  To the right of Vol Opt's head, something opened up and repaired its damage. Ignoring the pain in her arm, Danielle took out her Vulcans and held down the trigger. Bullets slammed into the machines armor, and the part under its head broke off. Vol Opt spun around and aimed its missile launcher at her. Once again, the Ranger held down the trigger. This time, the missile launcher broke off. Seeing the weaker armor, Danielle drew her Agito and began to cut into Vol Opt's body. Pain shot through her shoulder as she managed to pierce through the armor. The hole in the armor began to spout flames, but she pushed the sword deeper in still.

  The armor blew outwards, knocking Danielle into the wall. Her shoulder slammed against the wall, and she cried out in pain. Vol Opt rose into the air; flame shooting out from openings in its armor. There was a mechanical scream, and the machine blew up into a hundred pieces. Shards of metal pelted the ground, and Danielle leaned back against the wall, clutching her shoulder in pain. Zechs ran over to her and helped her up. The other door in the room, the one they didn't come through, opened up silently. They walked through and entered the tunnel beyond.

Planet Ragol: Mines: Excavation Area

  A door made of what seemed to be stone loomed ahead of them. There were three capsules, each one getting closer to the door. There were boxes and equipment littering the area, and the first capsule was by one of these boxes.

  "I can now say there was an ancient civilization on this planet. Ruins buried in the ground. This is the evidence. The government was about to secretly conduct an excavation to study the ruins."

  Danielle thought for a second. Why would the military have an army of robots guarding the entrance? There must have been something inside the ruins that the military was afraid of. Why else would they leave such heavy defenses here? Over by a larger supply box, there was another capsule.

  "No intelligent life was discovered when Pioneer 1 landed here… Something else must have caused the destruction of this ancient civilization. What happened on Ragol in the past?"

  The two hunters turned to the final capsule, located near the door. On the door, there were three symbols like the ones she saw on the monuments in the forest, caves, and mines. The first was glowing red, the second was glowing blue, and the third was glowing green. There was something familiar about them, like Danielle had seen them somewhere other than on the planet. Ignoring this feeling, Danielle played the capsule message.

  "The government was decoding the characters as well. Here is their analysis. I'll try to fill in the gaps with my own data. 'Light, darkness,… a pair, no,… exist, no exist… unlimited, seal,… MUUT DITTS POUMN.'…? What's the last line? An incantation? Seal, seal… What is sealed? Where? Is it this door? Was it sealed with the words, MUUT DITTS POUMN? Maybe each word in the incantation represents something? I found three monuments… Are they keys to open the door?"

  The Ranger looked up at the door, and was surprised when each of the symbols blinked out, one by one. He door slid upward, revealing a path into the ruins. Danielle stood their, feeling the evil that seeped out of the opening. There was something in there, the very same thing that had called her to the underground. She turned to Zechs, a look of concern on her face.

  "I know what you're going to say, Danielle. I don't want to let you go in there alone."

  She shook her head. "Go to the Pioneer 2 and get the hunters name Draslushee and Jaden. Tell Principal Tyrell that I went into the ruins alone, and that I told you to come back and get my friends. You should get going now." Zechs nodded, and dropped a Telepipe.

  "I'll see you soon," he said quietly before stepping into the Telepipe. Danielle turned to the entrance to the ruins, adrenaline pumping through her system. She ignored the pain in her heart and shoulder, thinking about what lied ahead. Suddenly, a phrase she read from her Bible came into her mind. It was one she always remembered when she was going through some troubled times.

  "The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. He lets me lie down in fields of green grass. He leads me beside quiet waters. He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. You are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me. You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies. You pour oil on my head. My cup runs over. I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

  Danielle looked up, tears streaming down her face. If she failed, she would never again see her friends. Swallowing her fear, the Ranger stepped into the darkness.


	8. Revolution to the Origin

Chapter 8: Revolution to the Origin

Planet Ragol: Ruins: Outer Levels

  Pieces of debris littered the area, and the walls had holes in them, made by human weapons. It seemed a battle had gone on down here, but there were no signs of bodies. There was a capsule by the first room's door, so Danielle played the message.

  "Why am I here, with monsters lurking everywhere? Did the army even stand a chance against them?"

  This confused the Ranger. There were no monsters around here. There weren't even humans. What was Rico talking about? When Danielle entered the next room, she finally saw what Rico was talking about. Nightmarish monsters attacked, eager to get rid of Danielle. With her hurt shoulder, it was much harder to kill the monsters. The first ones that appeared were what Rico called Dimenians. They had two Photon scythes for arms, and there were three different versions of them. Dimenians were the most common, with blue scythes and bodies. La Dimenians were faster, and had pink scythes and bodies. The most powerful versions were the So Dimenians. They were larger than the others, and had yellow bodies and scythes. They seemed to be the guardians of the ruins, and they wanted to get rid of the intruder.

  Danielle snapped up her Vulcans, struggling to keep her hand steady. These were the creatures she had seen in her dreams. Everything was exactly the same. The look of the ruins, the monsters, the look on her face, all of it just like it was in her dreams. The Ranger pulled the trigger, cutting down the nightmarish creatures. They fell to the ground, their bodies turning to dust and leaving purple blood behind. When the room was finally clear, Danielle was shaking like mad. Never before had she been through something as scary as that. By some of the wreckage from Pioneer 1's military, there was another capsule.

  "Wreckage…! These weapons are from Pioneer 1. They must have already entered the ruins, and from the look of things, fighting went on. It must've been a big battle. Seems our army was hurt badly."

  The next creatures the RAmarl encountered were known simply as Claws. They were weak, but they appeared in large numbers. Most of their attacks were deflected by Danielle's shield, and the ones that managed to hit her armor barely did any damage. In the room that she first encountered the Claws, another monster attacked. The Delsaber was a fierce foe. Almost all of Danielle's attacks were absorbed by its clawed left arm. Taking one glance at the Delsaber's buster sword, the RAmarl decided not to fight at close range. She stepped backwards, aiming for the Delsaber's head. A lucky bullet slammed into where the brain should be, and the Dark creature dissolved into dust.

  The next couple of rooms contained the same creatures as before. There was a new creature that made an appearance in a room with a large window overlooking the ruins. The Dark Belra seemed to be staring out the window, until Danielle entered the room. It slowly turned to face her, lifted up its arm, and sent it flying at her. The arm slammed into Danielle, knocking her backwards. She found at that she could not move, since the behemoth's bioelectric charge played havoc with her armor, resulting in almost total paralysis. The Ranger activated her inventory and used her Antiparalysis, allowing her to dodge the Dark Belra's incoming claw swipe. She ran around to its back and opened fire. The bullets cut into its armor, and the creature died. There was another capsule near the window, so Danielle listened to it.

  "I can see a distant view through this window… The 'ruins' are huge. I would have never imagined such a great civilization…"

  Danielle looked out that window, and was amazed by what she saw. The ruins were huge. The whole area seemed to be a couple of miles long. Apsaras floated over her shoulder, examining the ruins. Its master looked at it, and realized that it had been a long time since she fed it. The Ranger looked around, and spotted a green item box on the ground. She opened it up and found a Star Atomizer, an item that restored a person's health and technique power, along with that of the people in a certain radius around the user. Knowing that Apsaras meant more to her than any item, she turned to the Mag.

  "Come here Apsaras, I have something for you." The Mag floated over to her, and she fed it the Star Atomizer. To her surprise, the Mag evolved. Where an Apsaras once floated, there was a Diwari. The Mag was blue and white, instead of dark green. Despite the change in appearance, the Mag was still the same. Diwari was happy at the fact that it had finally evolved. The last time it changed, it was from a Surya, which was a Kalki before. "Looks like you finally changed, buddy. I'm proud of you."

  They continued on, going deeper still into the ruins. It had been about half an hour before she reached a room with a large hole off to the right. Danielle walked over to it, playing the message capsule that was by the edge.

  "What is this big hole? It looks like… remnants of some type of energy explosion. …Energy…? Was the Central Dome destroyed by this!?"

  The Ranger peered over the edge, watching water cascade down into the depths of the planet. The walls in the hole seemed unnaturally smooth, which could only be done by none other than energy. While Danielle was looking down into the hole, she felt something strange. It was the same feeling she had when she was first about to enter the ruins. It was pure evil, whatever waited down there. And it was up to her to defeat it. Danielle got to her feet and turned to the room's other door. Through there, she found a strange monument. It was black with yellow symbols, and was incased in crystal. There was another message capsule near it, which meant Rico had been this way.

  "Those strange characters were found here and there. I think I have enough samples to decipher the meaning of the monument. 'Light makes darkness, a pair exists, but it doesn't always exist. Reincarnation goes forever. The rule is here. It should be sealed. MUUT DITTS POUMN'… Does it make sense? I wish I had enough time to study these unknown characters."

  There were only two other doors in the room. One led into a supply room, and one led to a room with a teleporter. The Ranger stepped into the teleporter and vanished.

Planet Ragol: Ruins: Engine Room Area

  "I haven't studied all the characters yet, but I've got some useful information. This is the most important fact I've found. There was NO ancient civilization on Ragol. We didn't discover ruins. This is a spaceship. A gigantic spaceship."

  This information completely surprised Danielle. She had wondered what all the machinery in

here was for, and now she had found out. This must have been the engine room area, since there were so many unknown machines at work. There was a strange humming sound, and the Ranger spun around. A Dark Gunner had dropped in, along with a Death Gunner. The two monsters were both the same, but with different colored crystals. The Death Gunner had a green crystal from which its beam fired from, while a Death Gunner had a red one. From her experience with the Canadines and Canunes in the mines, she knew that the red ones were always the leaders. A barrage of Photon bullets slammed into the Death Gunner, and it dissolved into dust. The Dark Gunner froze, and was easily dispatched.

  Danielle walked into the next room, and found another one of those strange monuments. There was another capsule on the floor next to it, but it wasn't activated. The familiar sound of monsters teleporting announced the arrival of more Dark creatures. It was a group of Dimenians, accompanied by two Delsabers. Danielle had learned long ago that the best way to fight these swordsman monsters was to circle them and attack their back. Ignoring the Dimenians, she dodged the first Delsaber attacks and fired at their backs. The monsters quickly fell. Turning to the Dimenians, Danielle aimed at the ones closest to her. In an instant, they were reduced to nothing more than dust and purple fluid. _Now it's time for that capsule_, the Ranger thought.

  "I'm now inside the ancient spaceship. Well, it's not just a spaceship. It's a… 'casket.' Something or somebody was sealed in this spaceship to remain buried here. What is IT? Why was something buried in such a manner? Anyway, I know a monster is sleeping in this cave. We've opened the forbidden door."

  Danielle's blood ran cold when she heard the last two sentences. What she had thought before was right. Something was inside this place. But she had gone too far to turn back now. Rico was somewhere in the spaceship, and Danielle intended to find her. There was another door in front of her, and this one led to the engine room itself. The room was huge, and it seemed that the ship was still operational. Danielle heard something that sounded a lot like a horse, but alien somehow. She spotted a creature that was half-man and half-horse charging her way. She dodged the incoming bladed arm and turned to the Chaos Bringer. It slowly turned to face her and prepared for another charge. Danielle raised her Vulcans and opened fire on the beast. The Chaos Bringer died, and Dimenians appeared.

  "Man, will these guys ever give up?" the RAmarl asked no one in particular as she attacked the Dark creatures. Now, a group of Claws appeared and picked a fight with Danielle. After that were Dark Gunners and Delsabers. By the time the room was finally cleared of the foul beasts, Danielle was exhausted. She walked into the next room, clutching her shoulder in pain. It had hurt even worse than before, and she may not be able to use her right arm much longer. In front of another crystalline monument was a capsule. Danielle sat on the ground and listened to the message.

  "I want to run away! But I have no place to return to… Perhaps no one will ever find this message and listen to it. Ever… Pioneer 2 will not come down when they discover this planet is dangerous. Will somebody from Pioneer 2 still come to save us? Who knows? Regardless, I leave this message here. This is evidence of my existence."

  The RAmarl leaned back against the monument as she listened to the message. If only Rico had known that someone did come. She would have waited for the search party and gone to Pioneer 2 with her father. The thought of Rico's father made her heart ache, for it brought back memories of Danielle's dad.

  "No. Don't think about that now. He may still be alive," she whispered. The Ranger closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer for her dad. When she was done, she got to her feet and continued on. Rooms full of Dimenians, Claws, Gunners, Bringers, and Delsabers were cleared as fast as possible on her way. Not long after her small break she took, Danielle found another teleporter. This area seemed to have been too easy, so she was prepared for heavier resistance in the next area.

Planet Ragol: Ruins: Bridge Area

  The organic matter on the walls around her pulsated, as if alive. Webbing also covered the area, but it was obvious that it was not made by spiders. All of the monsters that had ever appeared in the spaceship attacked with determination, as if they were guarding something. They were like soldiers ordered into battle, fighting even though they knew they were going to die. Something was controlling the creatures, but what? The first room contained three Dark Belras and a few Dimenians. By another monument was a capsule, which Danielle played once the room was cleared.

  "Dark Falz! That's the name. The god of destruction that revives in the millennial cycle. Perhaps this entity encountered a civilization thousands of years ago. They could not defeat it, but managed to seal it in this gigantic spaceship. They abandoned it somewhere far from their planet. It was this place, Ragol. We've come to a terrible place at the worst possible time."

  Dark Falz… It was the one that had caused the death of all the people on Ragol, and made the monsters vicious. If it was in this spaceship, then Danielle should get back to Pioneer 2 and tell them to leave. But something made her want to go deeper until she found this dark god.

  "I must be crazy if I want to find this thing, but why do I want to see it so bad?" she wondered aloud. Danielle shook her head and continued on. The next room was inhabited by a Chaos Sorcerer, a creature she had seen back in the outer levels. They could cast Rafoie, Gibarta, and Resta. They were very dangerous, and had to be dealt with first. The only things worse than them were Gunners and Bringers. Thankfully, it took a long time for a Sorcerer to cast its techniques. Once again, there was a monument and a capsule in the room.

  "Dark Falz is a consciousness. This entity has no body."

  "Okay. What is so important about this info?" Danielle asked her Mag. It did its own version of a shrug and beeped. "You're right. Maybe I will find out later on." They walked through the door and fought through wave after wave of Dark creatures. What the RAmarl had thought before was correct. There was much more resistance here than in the other parts of the ship. Three Dark Belras and a Chaos Bringer were not easy to take on at the same time, that was for sure. In a long hallway with more of the strange organic material on the walls, there was another capsule with a short message on it.

  "I miss my father. I wasn't a very good daughter was I? Is my father OK now?"

  In the middle of the most dangerous place on this planet, Rico was worried about her dad. Most hunters wouldn't even think about their family if they were in her position. They would only be worried about their own survival. Danielle decided to let her mind wander elsewhere, before she thought about her family again.

  After what felt like hours of backtracking through the maze that was the spaceship, Danielle finally got back on the right track. The first hint about her going the wrong way was the lack of message capsules. There were none on her current path, so she went back to the room that had about four or five doors in it. When she found one of the capsules by a monument, she knew she was on the right track.

  "Don't let it come in! The dark consciousness looks for the best animal to obtain its temporal host body."

  Danielle froze. Dark Falz could enter any body it chose, which meant that there was no way she could fight it. For all she knew, Dark Falz could take her over and use her for whatever it wanted. The RAmarl turned around, deciding to leave before it was too late, when she heard a voice. It sounded like a young girl, and she was pleading for help.

  "Okay, forget about going back to the ship. There is a survivor here, and I'm going to find her, no matter what it takes." Reassured by the sound of her voice, the Ranger ran as fast as she could, trying to find the girl. Halls blurred by, and no monster tried to stop her. There was a very long hallway she ran down, which opened up into a anteroom with a monument in it. Danielle stopped, panting for breath. "Running was not a good idea," she muttered. There was a sharp pain in her heart, and her shoulder ached again. She listened to Rico's message capsule while trying to catch her breath.

  "The door is already open. We opened it. This may be the beginning of the end of the universe. We have to do something… We must do it. We must defeat it now! Defeat it before that dark 'thing' revives with the perfect body."

  The Ranger shook her head. She knew that she was going to have to do this, even if she didn't here that girl's voice. Dark Falz was some seriously bad news. If it ever came back, then Pioneer 2 and every last living being in the universe would be doomed. Taking out her Vulcans once again, Danielle stepped into what must have once been the bridge. But the organic matter covered everything in the room, making it look alive. She ignored her surroundings and focused on the enemies. Every last Dark creature appeared in the room, ready for a fight.

  The first monsters to go were the Dark and Death Gunners. Their long range attacks were very dangerous, making them top priority. A Chaos Bringer charged into the room and headed for Danielle. She stepped out of the way at the last second and heard a Dimenian roar in pain. The RAmarl spun around and blasted the Bringer. Every fight in that room happened so fast, she couldn't remember all the details. There was just a lot of shooting and dodging attacks. After what felt like hours of intense fighting, the monsters stopped coming. Danielle stood there, Agito in hand and sweat dripping down her face. She had just defeated the largest amount of Dark creatures she had ever seen.

  Diwari floated over to the north door and beeped excitedly. Danielle stood there, trying to understand what it was saying, when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw the buster of a Delsaber sticking through her. The RAmarl's eyes went wide, and the Delsaber withdrew its sword. Danielle collapsed to the ground, and blacked out.


	9. The Nearest Place to the Heaven

Chapter 9: The Nearest Place to the Heaven

Planet Ragol: Ruins: Bridge Area

  From the shadows, someone watched the battle and what had happened to the Ranger. The Delsaber that attacked the RAmarl picked her up and walked through the northern door. "This isn't good," the figure muttered. She knew that the door the Delsaber walked through led to Dark Falz's resting place, and she knew what it wanted with that girl. "I have to save her, before it's too late." She was about to follow the Ranger, when the southern door opened and a HUmar clad in white armor ran through. The RAmarl's Diwari hid in the shadows and waited. The HUmar went through the northern door, and the figure heard the sound of a teleporter. She stared at the northern door, wondering if these people were from Pioneer 2. It was a few later that the southern door opened again. This time, a black armored HUmar and a white fatigued RAmarl ran through the northern door.

  "That's it. I am going in there myself. Those people have no idea what they are up against." The figure walked out of the shadows and headed over to the RAmarl's sword. It was the Agito, the fourth legendary katana. The Diwari that had hid before floated over to the hunter. It let out a small beep, and flew behind the hunter. She understood that it wanted to follow her and save its master. The hunter turned to the northern door and followed the others with Agito in hand.

Planet Ragol: Ruins: ???

  There was tremendous pain in Danielle's side. It was even worse than when her heart hurt from the virus. The Ranger slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was outside the ship, somewhere on the surface. The sun shone down on her, and the wind was comforting. There was a HUmar standing in front of a huge monument, and Danielle recognized him as Zechs. She tried to say his name, but couldn't. Zechs reached out and touched the monument, and cried out in surprise when the scenery around him changed. Instead of beautiful plains, there was a battlefield littered with ruins from Pioneer 1's military.

  The HUmar backed away from the monument, a look of surprise on his face. Suddenly, the monument disappeared. In its place was a man. He wore his blue hair long, with uneven bangs that kept falling in front of his aviator glasses.

  "Who are you," Zechs asked. The man smiled.

  "The name's Max. Max Sterling. And don't bother telling me your name. It won't matter soon." Zechs stepped back and drew his Heat Saber. Then he began to scream in pain. The Hunter tried to move, but couldn't. Max Sterling, Danielle's very father, laughed gleefully.

  "You're body is perfect for my master. It has been so long since it was last able to take on true form." Zechs continued to scream in pain, his body being lifted into the air by some unknown force. In a blinding flash of light, both Max and Zechs vanished, and Danielle lost consciousness again.

  Someone shook Danielle, yelling her name into her ear. The RAmarl slowly came around, and looked up into the face of Jaden and Draslushee.

  "What? How did the two of you… get here?" she asked weakly.

  "Zechs came and told us about you. But when we heard the few messages about Dark Falz, Zechs took off looking for you. Before we could follow, some monsters attacked. We thought he might have been here," Dras replied.

  "And you were right. He is here," a cold voice said. Danielle looked at the speaker and gasped. It was her father. She went to get her Vulcans, but noticed that her storage unit was gone. "Looking for this," Max asked, holding up her storage unit. He closed his hand tightly and crushed the unit.

  "Who in the world are you," Jaden asked angrily. She took out her Justy 23ST and aimed at Max.

  "Max Sterling. As I said to your friend earlier, don't bother telling me your names. It won't matter soon."

  "What did you do with Zechs?!" Dras yelled. Max laughed and stared at Danielle in the eye.

  "I'll do to you the same thing I did to him." Dras ran forward, Kameko Blade changing into its saber form. Max's hand shot out, hitting the HUmar in the face. Dras flew backwards and landed on the ground, not moving. His partner raised her rifle up and was about to shoot Max, when he dashed forward and punched her in the gut. Jaden collapsed to the ground, leaving Danielle defenseless. Max laughed again as he walked slowly towards her. She tried to back up, but she suddenly began to cough violently. The Ranger tasted blood, and she looked up into Max's eyes.

  "I'll make you pay for what you did to my father," she said. Max sneered at her.

  "I didn't do anything to him. I am your father. I'm just following my master's orders. Dark Falz rescued me from the explosion and brought me here. I owe it my life. I have no other choice but to pay off my debt to Falz." Danielle stumbled to her feet, clutching at the wound in her side.

  "My father would never do something like that under his own free will. You are just an imposter." Max's eyes softened, and he took a step forward.

  "I am not lying. Look into my eyes. Does it seem like I would lie to my own daughter?" Danielle thought for a moment, unsure of what to do. Max continued on. "My master can save your life. It can destroy the virus that is coursing through your body. Please, we want to help you Danielle." She glanced at her friends out of the corner of her eye. They were starting to get up, so she wouldn't have to worry about fighting alone.

  "Sorry, but there is no way I am going to join Dark Falz. I don't care if you are my father, I will not help that monster." Max sneered again.

  "So be it, Danielle. I thought that you would have loved to join your old man, but it seems I was mistaken." He walked up the steps of the monument as Jaden and Dras got to their feet. Max turned to face them. "My master will handle you. Dark Falz has been eager to meet you." The land changed into the battlefield once again, but this time, the grass vanished. On the ground were faces of people, mouths moving in a silent scream. Danielle realized with a jolt that these were the people of Pioneer 1. Max and the monument had vanished, and strange floating saws appeared.

  The Darvants headed for the three hunters, and Jaden and Dras stood in front of Danielle.

  "Stay here. We'll handle these things," Dras said. They began to kill the Darvants, cutting and shooting through them with ease. After killing a couple of the Darvants, the rest seemed to sink into the ground. Still holding her wound, Danielle stumbled when the ground began to shake. The monument reappeared and shattered, revealing a monster. It had two arms like the right arm of a Chaos Bringer, and a large crest rose up from behind it. The monster was riding on some sort of chariot with three dragon-like heads. Just beneath the creature's head was a human body. Danielle took one look at the creature and immediately knew what it was. Dark Falz had risen.


	10. Pray, for IDOLA the Distorted

Chapter 10: Pray, for "IDOLA" the Distorted

Planet Ragol: Ruins: ???

  Danielle stood there in awe, amazed and frightened by the sight of Dark Falz. The center chariot head lowered, releasing more Darvants into the area. Dras and Jaden split up, taking on the flying saws. Danielle watched her friends, and began to worry when the amount of Darvants in the area began to increase. She was so busy watching them, she didn't notice the Darvants that were behind her.

  There was the sound of a Photon weapon moving through the air behind her, and the Ranger spun around. A female hunter, dressed in a white and red uniform, was holding a partisan and cutting through the Darvants behind the Ranger. Danielle saw the red armlet on the hunters arm and gasped. "Rico?" The hunter smiled, and took out the Agito.

  "Here. Catch." She tossed the katana to Danielle, who caught it with ease. Since she still wasn't able to use her right arm, which she was holding over her injury, Danielle cut through the Darvants using her sword left handed. Rico aided her, and the two hunters fought their way to Dark Falz. Draslushee and Jaden decided to let the other hunters handle Falz, while they took out the Darvants.

  "Any ideas on how to beat this thing?" Danielle wondered aloud. "I still can't fight that well, and I can't find Diwari." To the Ranger's surprise, the Mag floated up behind her.

  "It was back in the spaceship's bridge, along with your sword. As for Falz, let me handle the close-range fighting. Use my Red Mechguns," Rico said as she took out a pair of mechguns. She handed them to Danielle before going to fight Dark Falz. The Ranger decided to risk leaving her injury uncovered and took a Red Mechgun in each hand. She aimed at one of the chariot heads and pulled the trigger. The bullets slammed into its open mouth, tearing holes in the weak flesh. Dark Falz aimed its right arm at Rico and sent a Rafoie blast at her. She was knocked backwards, but was not injured.

  "Rico! Are you okay?" The older hunter nodded and took out her Red Saber.

  "I knew that I would have to fight this thing sooner or later, so I prepared myself." She took out a Difluid and handed it to Danielle. "Drink this and use your techniques to help me." The RAmarl obeyed and quickly downed the fluid. She focused on the ice technique, Gibarta, and used it on the center head. Razor sharp icicles flew forward and impacted the head's mouth. The head fell to the ground and didn't move. Dark Falz roared in pain and pointed its right arm at her. The Rafoie blast knocked her down and made her fall on her injured shoulder.

  "I really have to stop falling on that shoulder," she muttered. Danielle got to her feet and continued the attack. She decided to attack the right head, the one with the blue armor on the top. This head had learned not to keep its mouth open, so it was harder to take out. Danielle tried to find the place where its armor was weakest, then aimed for the eyes. There was a roar of pain, and the head became immobile. That was too easy, the RAmarl thought.

  From behind Danielle, someone screamed. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jaden surrounded by Darvants. "Jaden!" Dras saw his girlfriend in trouble, but was unable to reach her. Suddenly, the Ranger's emergency rescue gear kicked in and transported her back to Pioneer 2's Medical Center. A few minutes later, the same thing happened to Dras. Danielle gritted her teeth and focused on taking out the last chariot head. She said a silent prayer for her friends and ran over to Rico.

  "Jaden and Dras are out of the fight. I think they are on the Pioneer 2 now. That leaves just you and me," Danielle said. Rico nodded grimly, an angry look on her face.

  "Falz planned it this way. It wanted it to be just you and me." She attacked the final remaining head, managing to cut through the beast's armor. The Ranger was about to shoot the head, but the gun clicked on empty.

  "Do you have any Photon charges for the Mechguns?" she asked. Rico backed away from the head she was attacking and took two charges out of her storage unit. When she looked up at her teammate, her eyes widened.

  "Look out!" Danielle was hit on the back by one of Falz's enormous arms and was sent flying toward the small island's edge. As she flew over the edge, her hand shot out and grabbed the ledge. Rico ran over to her and reached for the RAmarl's hand.

  "Don't do it yet. Take out that last head before worrying about me," she hissed. Her shoulder groaned, and there was a sharp pain in both her heart and stomach. Rico turned around and attacked the head again. There was a roar of pain, followed by what sounded like a beam being fired into the air. Danielle watched two rays of light shoot into the air, split up, and impact the ground. She heard Dark Falz roar again, and saw its body slump over.

  Suddenly, the crest on its back opened up and revealed wings. Falz began to circle the area, hovering over the black abyss that was below it. Rico ran as fast as she could over to Danielle and pulled her up. The Ranger thanked her and picked up the Red Mechguns she dropped. There was a strange red mass in between the dark god's legs, and it looked like a target. The two hunters attacked the mass with everything they had, and Dark Falz did the same for them. Besides having Rafoie, Rabarta, and Heaven Punisher, Falz could also drain a person's energy.

  Rico was running towards Falz, when she stumbled and fell to her knee. Some of the dark god's wounds healed over, and that was when the hunters learned of the life-draining attack. The older hunter staggered back to her feet and continued the attack. Danielle was amazed by her determination. If she was in Rico's shoes, she may have given up long ago. The Ranger ignored the thought and focused on the battle. This was no time to be letting her mind wander.

  Dark Falz seemed to be tiring out. The sheer amount of attacks its body was receiving was taking its toll. "This is it, Danielle. Let's deal the final blow!" The Ranger nodded and tossed the Red Mechguns to Rico. She drew the Agito from its makeshift sheath and charged Falz. Rico was right beside her, holding the Red Saber. They both struck the red mass at the same time, and Dark Falz screamed in pain. The two hunters stepped out of the way of the incoming corpse as it fell to the ground. Danielle clutched at her injury, which was bleeding again. She sat on the ground, trying to breathe normally.

  "I don't believe it. We did it. We defeated Dark Falz," Rico said in disbelief, staring at the god's corpse. The RAmarl looked up at her.

  "What? Was it supposed to be harder than what is already was?" Rico nodded and turned to face the younger hunter.

  "Dark Falz couldn't be defeated by the ancient race that built this ship. They were much more advanced in terms of technology to us. The best they could do was seal it away, and that was almost impossible. This battle was way too easy." Danielle looked at Falz's corpse, wondering if it was actually dead. She was about to speak to Rico when there was a terrible pain in her heart. She screamed in pain, thinking that this was the worst attack she had ever had. Rico knelt next to her, trying to help. That was when there was a strange sound, and a creature flew up from Falz's corpse. The pain in Danielle's heart suddenly stopped, and the two girls looked up at the creature. The ground the hunters were on was replaced by a strange ring, which was as solid as stone. Danielle and Rico stared at each other, looks of terror on their face. Dark Falz was still alive.

Stormsworder: Almost done with this. Then I can post the sequel. YAY!

Danielle: Wow. And have you worked on it any?  
Stormsworder: Uh… no… Well, just read and review, people.


	11. Cry, for IDOLA the Holy

Chapter 11: Cry, for "IDOLA" the Holy

Planet Ragol: Ruins: ???

  It had two long wings that reached down to its bladed arms. This form was smaller than the first two, but it was no less powerful. Dark Falz knocked Rico away from her friend with the blunt side of its sword and stared down Danielle. She slowly backed away, but stopped when she reached the edge.

  _I need a new body_, a voice said in her head. _Yours will suffice for now._

  Suddenly, pain flowed through her. Her body felt wrapped by an invisible rope, and she couldn't move at all. Her vision began to dim. There was enough energy left in her to scream for help before blacking out.

  Rico watched what was happening and knew she had to do something, fast. She ran forward, picked up the Agito, and rammed it as hard as she could into Dark Falz's armor. Calling forth all of her technique power, she sent a surge of electricity through the blade and into Falz's body. The dark god backed away, unable to put up with the attack or try to take over Danielle. She stood there a second before falling face down to the ground. Rico rushed over to the RAmarl and turned her over, keeping an eye on Falz.

  "Danielle, are you okay?" The teen moaned and opened her eyes slightly.

  "I'm so tired," she murmured. "Can't stay awake…" Rico knew that just about all of the girl's energy had been drained by Dark Falz, and she may not survive, unless she was taken to a hospital. Rico took out her Red Saber and turned to face Falz. The battle ahead would be much harder, now that Danielle was out of the fight.

  "Just hold on," the older hunter said softly over her shoulder. "I'll get you out of here." She readied her blade and prepared for a long battle. Danielle struggled to keep her eyes opened and prayed for her friend's safety. If Rico failed, then Dark Falz would be able to escape from its prison and destroy the universe.

  Rico dodged Falz's incoming arm, stepping out of the way before it hit. While the monster was still close to her, she ran forward and began to attack. Dark Falz flew up into the air and sent about ten homing spheres of energy at Rico. She ran around the strange ring, dodging the missiles. Irritated by the hunter, Falz pointed its right arm at her and hit her with Grants. The arrows of light dug into her back, sending her to the ground.

  From the other side of the area, Danielle and Diwari watched the fight. Danielle was still clinging to life, but just barely. Diwari turned to its master and beeped. "Diwari, what you're asking to do could kill you. Are you sure you want to do this?" the RAmarl asked weakly. The Mag bobbed up and down and touched Danielle's hand with its body. Its own life energy was transferred to her, and the Mag fell to the ground. "Diwari… I will not let your sacrifice be in vain," Danielle whispered. She staggered to her feet, a look of determination on her face. Her right hand clenched into a fist as she stared at the back of Dark Falz.

  The dark god loomed over Rico, prepared to strike the final blow. Danielle thrust her right hand out at the god, and a powered up Foie shot forward into Falz's back. It roared in pain and turned to Danielle, surprised that she was even able to stand, let alone cast a high-leveled technique. Rico stared at Danielle, and smiled at the look on her face. It was obvious that Dark Falz was in some deep trouble.

  The RAmarl stood there, hand still pointed at Falz. The god spoke, and this time, both of the humans could hear it.

  _I thought I had drained you of your life. How can you still be alive?_

  "My closest friend gave its life for me so I could defeat you. We are now one. Together, we have a power you will never understand or hope to defeat." Rico was amazed by what the Ranger just said. Never before had a Mag's spirit merged with a human. If that had really happened to Danielle, then she may actually have a chance to defeat Falz. The older hunter got to her feet and grabbed her Red Saber. Seeing her chance, she leapt forward and drove the Red Saber into Dark Falz's wounded back.

   _Curse you, humans! I will make you pay for your incompetence!_

  The dark god rose into the air again, sending out more of the homing missiles. They narrowly missed the targets and hit the ground. Danielle ran over to Rico, and they prepared for Falz's next attack. It aimed a Grants blast at Rico, and the arrows of light shot toward her. If they hit the hunter, than she would surely die. Danielle stepped out in front of her, shielding her from the arrows of light. They impacted against the Ranger's armor, and many managed to go through. She fell to her knees, hissing through clenched teeth.

  Rico couldn't believe what her friend had just done. She had used her own body to take the attack instead of letting them hit Rico. "Here, let me heal them," the older hunter said quickly. While Dark Falz was aiming its right arm at them again, Rico healed the younger hunter's wounds. She felt a strange sensation while she was casting the technique, but she dismissed it as just a side affect from the Grants. Danielle smiled at Rico, thanking her for the help.

  "Thanks a lot. Now let's take care of this creep." Rico handed the Ranger her Red Mechguns, and she opened fire. As the bullets impacted against the god, Rico screamed in pain. Danielle shot a glance over her shoulder and saw the older hunter holding her left arm. There was what appeared to be a bullet hole in it, and it was in the exact same place she had hit Falz. Danielle realized that Dark Falz was transferring the damage it took to Rico, so she pulled back to the wounded hunter.

  "Rico, we need to keep moving. Are you still able to fight?" She nodded, and the hunters began to run around the ring. Dark Falz rose into the air and sent a large, purple sphere flying at them.

  "Watch out! That's Megid, the Curse of Death!" Rico yelled. Danielle dove to the ground, and the sphere passed over her. Once again, arrows of light shot out at her, impacting all over her body. Dark Falz sent out the homing missiles again, and one managed to hit her right leg. Her leg was pushed back from the force of the impact, and Danielle fell to the ground. Rico ran over to her, but was thrown back by the blunt side of Falz's arm. She landed on her back, and pain shot through it. The sensation that she had when she was healing Danielle went away; Dark Falz lifted its arm into the air, prepared to take out the older hunter.

  Danielle willed the pain in her leg to go away as she crawled toward the Red Mechguns. The damage done by the Grants and homing missile stopped her from being able to get up, and every inch of her body was hurting. She looked up at Falz, watching it prepare to strike Rico. Its back was to her, and she saw how extensive the damage was. The RAmarl reached for the Red Mechgun nearest to her, aimed it at Falz, and struggled to focus on the target.

  "This is for Dad," she whispered weakly. She pulled the trigger, and a hail of bullets slammed into Dark Falz. It roared in pain, unable to fight back. When the Mechgun's Photon gauge ran dry, Falz turned to the Ranger. Its body vanished, and a figure shot up into the air. A katana, the Agito, landed right in front of Danielle with a loud clatter. Now that the battle was over, she was able to just lie her head down and rest. Her leg, shoulder, and back hurt, and she was exhausted. She closed her eyes for a second, before she felt Rico put her arm around her neck.

  "Just hold on, Danielle. We're going home now." The Ranger smiled. Home. That sounded good. Rico had the Agito in her storage unit, and was going to give it to Danielle when they got to the Pioneer 2.

  "Rico, what about Diwari? Now that it's gone, I don't have a partner any more. Diwari and I were so close, that no other Mag can replace it."

  "I hate to say it, but… That's not important right now. We need to get you to a hospital." When the teen didn't reply, Rico glanced at her. The RAmarl's eyes were closed, and she wasn't breathing. Panicking, Rico ran as fast as she could to the Telepipe while carrying Danielle. "Don't die on me," she whispered.


	12. Black Paper

Chapter 12: Black Paper

Pioneer 2

  "She will wake up, I know it," a female voice said, bringing Danielle out of her unconscious state. Instead of waking up, she listened to the conversation.

  "This child has been comatose for three days straight! She should have awoken long ago," a man shot back.

  "Trust me on this, doctor. She will snap out of it. We just need to give her a bit more time," the female pleaded.

  "Fine, but I'm telling you, she's not going to wake up." There were footsteps and the sound of a door opening and closing. Someone placed their hand on Danielle's right arm as memories of what had happened flashed through her mind. The arrival at Ragol, the fight through the ruins, and the battle with Dark Falz all came rushing back. The RAmarl opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she looked around. She was in a hospital room, and someone was sitting by her. They were lying their head down on their arms, and looked like they were sleeping. It took a while to focus on the person clearly, but she recognized the person by the red hair and armlet.

  "Hey, Rico. What's the matter?" The older hunter's eyes snapped open, and she stared at Danielle in disbelief.

  "You're… awake…" Danielle nodded, a smile on her face.

  "Yup. How could I sleep when my body feels like it's been through a meat grinder?" Tears streamed down Rico's face as she embraced the RAmarl. "Not so hard, Rico. That really hurts," she said weakly. The older hunter let go of her and accessed the storage unit on her arm.

  "I have something for you," she said quickly. She pressed a button on the unit, and a baby Mag appeared. It was royal blue, instead of the light green her last one was. It floated next to her and rubbed against her side. Rico took a picture out of her unit and handed it to Danielle.

  "This is… Dad and me," the teen whispered. "We took it before he left. This was in my house when Black Paper burned it down. It was the only thing I had to remember him by. But, where did you find this?"

  "Your friends Jaden and Draslushee found it and told me to give it to you when you woke up. You're lucky to have friends like them, that's for sure."

  "Where are Dras and Jaden? Are they okay?" Danielle asked. She remembered them being evacuated from the battle with Falz, but didn't know whether they were injured or not.

  "They are just fine. Came by to visit you a couple of times. Those injuries you have are pretty serious. Multiple puncture wounds from the Grants attacks, and your leg was almost completely destroyed by that homing missile. Without the spirit of Diwari that is in you, you may not have survived."

  "I don't understand this at all. How could something like this happen?"

  "Even I don't know, Danielle. Mags have powers that not even we fully know about. Maybe, with time, we will find out how it happened. For now, though, I should get a doctor. I bet you're going to want to be out of her as soon as possible." Rico got to her feet and left the room quickly. Danielle stared at the picture of her dad and her. It was hard to believe he was truly gone. He probably didn't even know about his wife's death at the hands of the organization he hunted. With him out of the picture, Black Paper's next target would be Danielle. She was the last of the Sterlings, and she posed a threat to their plans.

  "I'll find every last one of you," the Ranger whispered, "and I'll avenge my family. You'll wish you had never crossed paths with me." She looked at her new Mag, stroking it gently. One day, she would bring Black Paper down, even if she had to do it herself.

Pioneer 2: Unknown Location

  Ash, a young Viridia HUmar, leaned against the room's wall. With Zechs gone, they had to discover another way to find Dr. Osto's research notes. From the data his agents had found so far, Dr. Osto Hyle and his team of researchers had worked on creating bio-weapons, but only three had promising results: Beta 630, Beta 772, and Gamma 119. The Beta test subjects were of the Altered Beast class. Beta 772, which was the creature called De Rol Le, had been exterminated by hunters. Beta 630 was still on the island it was created at, but it may have escaped its cage. The final subject, Gamma 119, was a Dark-type creature. For some reason, it went out of control and was disposed of. If what his agents found out was correct, then Gamma 119 would still be in the Test Subject Disposal Site.

  The HUmar looked at the latest report from his field agents. They had found some data logs during a computer search in the mines. One of them talked about Olga, one of three military AI's. Vol Opt had gone haywire and was destroyed, but Pioneer 2's labs managed to get a hold of Calus. Ash was hoping to find Olga, but the report in his hands prevented him from doing so. Olga had been implanted in a human subject infected by the D-Type Factor, the lifeform that created Dark creatures. The subject code was Gamma 119. If they could find the subject, then they could extract a sample of the D-Type Factor. With it, they could create their own bio-weapons to sell on the black market.

  "Commander Ash." A purple and white HUcast walked up to him and snapped to attention. "Reporting as ordered, sir." Ash let a small smile creep across his lips.

  "Drop the formalities, Kireek. This isn't the military, you know." Kireek nodded and handed Ash some papers.

  "Our team we sent to the island has been confirmed as KIA. Seems that the creatures there were affected by the explosion. The island AI, Epsilon, has been infiltrated by the D-Type Factor. It's true that it can infect both organic creatures and machines. It would make the perfect weapon if we can harness and control it. The only problem is obtaining a sample. Gamma 119 is the only subject that contains the true D-Type Factor. All of the other creatures don't. Our team managed to get to the lower levels of the facility before being overcome by the creatures there."

  "Tell me, what kind of hostiles are on the island?" Ash asked.

  "On the surface, Native, Altered Beast, and Machine types. The machines have been infiltrated by the D-Type Factor, while the animals were affected by the explosion. In the facility itself, there are Altered Beast, Machine, and Dark types. Do you have an idea?"

  Ash nodded. "What I am thinking of could kill two birds with one stone. We wait until the Lab discovers the location of the island. The hunters they send down would clean out the facility for us. If we are lucky, that Ranger would go down herself. When they reach the area where Gamma 119 is, we will take them out and collect the sample. It will be as easy as that."

  "Sir, I have some news on the Ranger you were talking about." Ash's eyes narrowed, and he gestured for Kireek to continue. "She has come out of her coma. In a few days, she will be released from the hospital. Should I have someone monitor her?"

  The HUmar shook his head. "No, we should not risk it. She may know that we are watching her, and I bet she is none to happy with what we did. It would be better to lie low for a while. I can't risk losing any member of Black Paper, not at this stage. Zechs have been discovered by her before his demise. Unless we can be sure she doesn't know of our agents, we will not monitor her." Ash looked back at the papers Kireek had handed him. The HUcast stood there, watching him.

  "Sir, we may need to call the others. This is an important matter that will require their help. Would you like me to send messages to them?"

  "Yes, but don't have them come just yet. I want to speak with the new hunter, Ace. I may have a mission for him." Kireek saluted and left the room. Ash closed his eyes, a plan formulating in his mind. If everything went according to plan, Black Paper would be able to take over the Principal Government. It was something that he could only dream of back on Coral. Now, he had the power to make it reality. With Dr. Osto's research, not even Danielle and her friends would be able to stand against him.

  "Just you wait. I'll take you out once and for all," Ash said to himself. The HUmar turned to the door. No one would suspect him to be the mastermind behind Black Paper. After all, he was just a pathetic hunter. But soon, people would cringe at the sound of his name instead of laughing.

  Ash grinned at this thought. It wouldn't be long now. With his loyal soldiers with him, not even Danielle could stop his ultimate plan. The Great Shadow was waiting, after all.

A/N: Last chapter. YAY! I'm done. Now to write the three stories I'm working on now. blank stare Also, I'm accepting characters for the sequel to this fic, so submit one if you want.


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